4,489 Shares in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST Purchased by Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 4,489 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $573,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aspect Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Ross Stores by 251.7% during the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new position in Ross Stores during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 372.5% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 241 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the second quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the first quarter valued at about $48,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ross Stores Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of ROST opened at $162.73 on Wednesday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $122.36 and a fifty-two week high of $165.07. The business has a 50-day moving average of $153.71 and a 200 day moving average of $144.66. The firm has a market cap of $52.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $5.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.54 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 37.37%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.59 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 9th were paid a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 9th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is currently 25.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $160.00 price objective (up previously from $150.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Monday, August 18th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Ross Stores from $128.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 22nd. Erste Group Bank began coverage on Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, October 31st. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Ross Stores from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ross Stores

In related news, CMO Karen Fleming sold 2,932 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.09, for a total transaction of $437,131.88. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 88,335 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,169,865.15. The trade was a 3.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO James Grant Conroy sold 39,351 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.00, for a total value of $5,745,246.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 157,153 shares in the company, valued at $22,944,338. This trade represents a 20.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 52,720 shares of company stock worth $7,761,212. 2.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its stores primarily offer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company’s Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores to middle income households; and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores for households with moderate income.